My oh my, there is nothing quite like waking up to a morning knowing you’re going to have to lavish yet more praise on your favourite player. I took time out to say something nice about the Frenchman yesterday and as happens in all religions, you do something nice and you are rewarded with something nice… immediately. This little comment here…

‘so this is also a great opportunity for Squillaci to show that he is in fact a good defender.’

… could prove to be the defining moment in our season.

The team lined up exactly as I suggested it would with Nik B taking centre stage for once. The game opened brightly, Theo Walcott was found in space early on, he let off a rasping shot that nearly blew the back post from its foundations. Moments later, the Englishman found himself through on goal again but his tame effort was dealt with. We had our heads up and Jack Wilshere was combining well with Cesc to really open up Stoke.

The fans were incredibly vocal about that scoundrel they had playing at the back.

Ryan Shawcross, is a ‘tanker’ apparently?

Nik B found some space in the box from a corner, he controlled the ball, chipped a half volley into the box, Squillaci back tracked on himself and nodded home a poachers header! A super goal from a defender you’ll all agree has been nothing short of Baresi-esque this season!

Well done that man!

Anyway, it didn’t take long for bad news to strike. Cesc pulled up with what looked like a tight hammy, he walked off to rapturous applause, Andrey Arshavin came onto the same welcome. I haven’t heard anything from Pam on this injury yet, what I will refer you to is my match report after Braga when she told me it wasn’t that serious because he didn’t pull up. Think about how obvious it was that Samir had hurt himself? Maybe Cesc just felt a tightness and didn’t want to risk anything…

Andrey kept play ticking over and Arsenal reverted to controlled football. We held possession without ever really threatening. It is worth noting that Nik B’s work rate was exceptional and he made some telling passes. Stoke still took time out to remind us that actually, they’re a very tactically aware team. A few of their long throw in’s caused a bit of panic in the box but the defence and Chezzer dealt well with them. John Carew also fired off a fierce shot that our keeper was more than equal to with a long outstretched save. He was met by a chorus of…

‘Arsenal’s number 1, Arsenal, Arsenal’s number 1′

Haven’t heard that song in a while… the crowd must know something eh?

The second half wasn’t anything to really write home about. Andrey pulled off an outrageous piece of skill when he controlled a long ball perfectly, then chipped the ball inside his man, cut it back to Theo who fired embarrassingly wide. Despite a great opening 10 minutes, Theo really wasn’t at the races yesterday.

He was chopped down by a late challenge, which the dithering referee didn’t deem a foul. He went off on a stretcher. Again, I’ve heard all sorts of stories about his injury from all sorts of people who wouldn’t know. If I get anything solid late, I’ll tell you. I’m hoping this could be a case of Theo being a big girls blouse (I love that phrase, like a big girls blouse is the epitome of femininity).

The game petered out towards the end, there was a nervy freekick to deal with, thanks to Denilson and a last-minute corner that we defended excellently.

The game finished 1-0, that was a fantastic result and the red and white army go marching on!

Conclusion

I felt the team put on a strong showing all over the park last night. There wasn’t really a weak link anywhere. The team fought hard for each other, I didn’t get the sense we were bullied and we ground out a very good result. At times I did feel that people had Sunday’s game on their minds, we were a little casual about winning the game 1-0 and I know plenty of people in the ground felt that way. Still, if you can play like that and not concede, then there isn’t much to complain about.

Sunday is coming up fast now, we’re a possibly a couple of key players down but we’ve got to accept that injuries at this time of the year are inevitable. They’re collateral damage, providing they’re not too serious, we’ll deal with them. Sure the 2nd team on its own is weak, that’s not to say all the players in the second team are poor. Andrey is more than capable of coming into the side on Sunday and having a blinder, Samir can slip into the middle and Nik B proved last night how good he can be when he’s given a run in the middle of the park.

Also, a big shout out to the defence. They played as a unit yesterday, communicated fantastically all night and earned a great clean sheet. Squillaci was very good… that performance will give him belief.

Everything is starting to come together now. We’ll take Orient apart next week, we have the advantage against Barca, we’re in the final of the Carling Cup and we’re now only a single point behind United.

A win on Sunday could give the whole team the belief they need to carry them through the last few months of the season. Alex Ferguson once said all players are tired at this stage of the season and that it’s mental attitude that gets you to the post first. I totally agree. This team feels like it’s grown up and that it’s ready to deliver. Pound for pound, there isn’t a better squad.

I’m hoping we’re going to break in that virgin trophy cabinet this Sunday…

what you fail to understand is that the author of the article is pointing his accusing finger at Barca, while we do the same what they do, simple as that…

Again, you have failed to pick on the subtleties of the article (though I use that word lightly as it wasn’t particularly subtle). At no point is the author defending what Arsenal do. In fact what he is saying is that the system undeniably needs to be tightened up to prevent the abuses you are so opposed to. He is simply highlighting the hypocrisy Barcelona are showing by complaining about it.

(Though again, that was at the end, so you might not have got to that bit yet 😉 )

SUGA3 – but again, if you have read the article surely it is clear that he is categorically NOT casting the first stone! It is an article structured specifically as a retort to an attack on our club by Sandro Rosell…

suga3, THE FACT YOU ARE HAVING any KINDA argument on Sandra’s rebuttle article…makes me wonder. FAT is Barca do quite the same, and it’s ok to be bitter, but to call out another for something you are as guilty for? Insane i say. the article is not totally supporting the practice but just showing how ignorant Sandra(o) is about his club. Had Sandra call out the whole system without naming Arsenal, and call to question the way they have dealt in the past, then you sir, would be right. Just don’t pick arguments for the sake of having a different opinion..Now you do have a right to thinker differently, but we must do so without sneaky insults.

SUGA, Barca was int he middle of a fine job with Merida, they could have finished it off when he wanted to leave us…you do understand that they fear Toral Harper may come good and they’d have to cough up 10x the 350k they nicely pocketed.

The thing is SUGA, despite your complaints of being patronised, you actually do seem to have missed the point of the article. At no point was the author of the article (or I) defending the practice of poaching teenagers. It was simply an article pointing out Barca’s hypocrisy in the matter…

What is this nonsense about poaching youths from Barca? Now I have no personal experience of this myself, but if you’re a brilliant student aren’t the best colleges trying to get you to their institution?
Instead of money they offer scholarships.

It’s almost the same thing. The kid and the parents get the final decision on what the best option is for the kid. And of course the Club gets something out of it as well.

And if someone makes an obviously bitter and unfounded attack on our club the best recourse isn’t to try and side with the enemy. And yes Barca are the enemy.

SUGA3, i don’t think anyone is saying we are right, but what’s right or wrong? a 16 year old, along with his parents and Agent made a decision to chose us for his career, have in mind that the Agent has close ties to Barca…key point.

SUGA – this is the last reply I’ll make on the subject, since you seem to be one of these people who will attempt to have the final word no matter how completely you have been shown to have missed the point.

It doesn’t ‘work both ways’ since Sanderson didn’t make an attempt to defend Arsenal’s behaviour in this matter…

And one last time – it’s not ‘double standards’ because (again and again and again and again) Sanderson is not defending Arsenal’s behaviour. The final sentence of the article makes that clear. It would be much simpler if you just stopped trying to make this indefensible point to be honest. Let’s talk about the CC Final instead eh?

Absolutely gutted for Cesc. I still think we have more than enough talent to win the match but I really wanted to see him lift a trophy for us at Wembley.
Guess he will have to wait until may when he will lift 3 in quick succession.

It’s really not perspective SUGA3. It’s quite predictable when the same people try to take the same side in every topic that may be debated.

The article is calling Sandro out on a double standard. You can’t turn that into the article itself being a double standard. It’s circular logic. Barca accused us of certain thing, the article pointed out that they do the same. That means it intrinsically accepts that we do it too. Trying to turn it into the writer having double standards is quite funny.
THat means almost any post pointing out a double standard is guilty of one.

Mayank, despite you being entirely correct and putting it beautifully succinctly, it appears that SUGA is just one of those people who, once they have dug a hole, refuse to get themselves out of it. He’d rather just obtusely hold on to his intellectually bankrupt point of view rather than back down…

I think the thing is mate, you were essentially having a different argument to everyone else on here, but seemed entirely unaware of it!

No one (on here or at Young Guns) was defending the club’s record on poaching youngsters, or claiming that the club can do no wrong. So it just makes almost all of what you wrote kinda pointless! And instead of realising that, you just kept banging on with your original point! But anyway, it gave us something to argue about for an hour or so I suppose…

We must play wilshere in the “cesc role”. With nasri on the wings. Bring diaby back in midfield, we need his height. I go for a 4-1 for the arsenal!
How unlucky is cesc? He will miss a final! Come on gunners!!

White knight, eh? Lets not get race into it. Especially since Lurch is around 😉

For the record I don’t think the club can do no wrong. It’s just that if I do think that we’ve done something wrong, I don’t get the urge to post about it instantly on the internet with a ‘got you!’ tone.

Whereas when some other club fucks up I do get that urge. That is a double standard and one I’m happy to embrace.

Different strokes I guess but I do seem to care about what other club do, only our rivals though. That’s why I don’t have many posts about Spurs. It’s basically because they are the clubs we’re in competition with and will inevitably be compared to. It’s a bit vain I know but human nature nonetheless.

We aren’t wrong SUGA3, And that’s putting the article bluntly! We have every right to do what MOST big clubs do, that is look around the globe for 16 years old to sign, maybe even younger! Aint shit wrong with 16 and less moving to a football club just so their parents can enjoy some cash! LOL

Suga3, why do you always have to go against the grain just so you can say you have a different opinion everyday? As an Arsenal fan, we can all agree on some issues ALL at the same time…..this case is perfect example, You’d find even Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U fans support us on this particular view, that Rosell is clueless.

nothing, all I said was that there was a difference between taking a 10 year old to your academy and doing all the hard work and reaping the benefits of that a few years down the line if you are not the one who did it!

SUGA3, So the job was done on Merida at 10 before we poached him? Great…Cesc learnt all that wonderful stuff at La Masia, no he was talentless, and when he arrived in London, we didn’t train him in the English football way..no sir! At 16 a player is the finished article, yes sir! Messi was thought by Barca, nothing to do with him being poached from Newell’s Old Boys No sir..he was talentless.

IMO, technical training from the youngest possible age is the key, you can have stupid amount of talent, but if you are not polished, you will always be a rough diamond, who will be outdone by a decent professional, it’s the training that makes you an ubermensch of a player!

Ches
Sagna JD Kos Clichy
LJW Song Nasri
Nik RvP AA
Subs: Basil Ebway Denilson Gibbs Rosicky Shakatak Ramsey Squiddly Diaby
2 of the subs will have to go; Diaby may not be fit and Ramsey may miss out in favour of those who got us this far.

When Denilson came on I thought “HHere comes their equalizing goal”. He was like Bambi on ice – slipping and falling over everywhere. My heart was thumping in my throat every time the ball was played to him…

Once a game Bengali, the guy obviously has banana skin boots.
He really has done very little well this year and sadly seems quite content with that.
Donkey with the mange is as kind as I can be on him.
His continual place in this squad bamboozles me to no end.

So, Player A is an unnamed sub for Melchester Rovers Rd 3, whilst Harchester play Accrington Percy and draw. Player A then joins Harchester during the window but cannot play in the replay for his new team because he was ineligible for the first game as he was with another club?

Essentially yes I think that’s what it is Zorro! The mentality is something like the replay being a continuation of the tie rather than treated as a whole new game. I remember someone being fined or even kicked out of the tournament recently for fielding an ineligible player, a lower league team in the early rounds? Can’t for the life of me think who or when though, perhaps I dreamt it?!

Good planning. That’s a real bugger you only got one ticket, they really did make a hash of the ticket allocation didn’t they?!

Received my away Barca tickets this week and someone’s messed up a bit there too. The two of them are nothing like the tickets on the email confirmation. About ten rows back and the ticket numbers are 13 and 15, so we aren’t even sitting next to each other?! I’m sure Mr seat number 14 will move right or left one but still pretty odd

Pedro I know mate.
its just that they will be treating it like the world cup final and our second string are pretty woeful at times.
Nasri, Rvp and Wilshere need to do the business.
fucking nervous, imagine fucking losing this?
with Fabregas and Walcott we would piss it, just hope we can do the buisness without them

Djourou really has been something else. Who would have said so a year or two ago?

Most were saying he should be shipped out.

He’s probably our No.1 CB now. With Vermaelen back, we really have a solid squad with Ramsey and Lansbury coming back next season. I’d only perhaps buy Vertonghen who kills two birds with one stone and perhaps Hazard if he’s avaliable.

Sunday can’t come soon enough, but I know I will be having a pant shitting contest the entire 90. Those miserable cunts could play for penalties too. Park 10 in goal and see if they can take us the distance.

Theo scored his first goal ever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1Rg5uid_Iw to make it 1-0 but Chelsea equalised soon after, Senderos played Drogba onside and Almunia let the ball under his body.
We outplayed Chelsea’s first team that day but didn’t find the winner, Diaby kicked Terry in the face and then Drobga snatched the winner near the end.
And then there was that fight where Kolo and Ade got sent off along with Mikel.

That was quite of game but it was shame we didn’t win it back then as we played alot of kids in that run-in back then.
There was the night ‘The Beast’ Baptista and Aliadiere ripped apart a strong Liverpool side apart and we beat Spud(r)s in the Semi.
That would of been some achievement, in a Cup even though it isn’t a huge deal for many clubs and the least prestigious winning it would of been big.

This Scottish fella who manages Brum, Mac whats his name won’t be a push over. Arsenal will need to forget about everything other than beating Brum for 48 hours, including the 90+ involving the game. We lose this we are back to having the piss taken out of us for not winning anything.